Mrs Dixon
by HawkEyesGirls
Summary: Sophia lives, at least for now. A woman on her own finds Sophia and helps her get back. But surprises lay in store for her when she arrives and finds someone she thought was dead. How will this affect the outcome of everything.
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. I make no money from this story. I just had an idea for a story after watching a marathon of Walking Dead.

Ch 1

It was the scream that made her jump and nearly fall out of the tree she'd been napping in. Looking around at the forest floor she spotted a small blond running through the trees with a bitter on her heels. Cursing she made her way out of the tree and chased after the girl.

Using up carbs and energy she didn't really have she followed the groans of the bitter. Not really knowing why she was wasting her time. Maybe it was the last shred of humanity that she possessed but for whatever reason she kept putting one foot in front of the other until she saw the girl fall.

Gathering a burst of speed she raced up to the bitter as it seemed to trip over the same thing that had gotten the girl. Doing a baseball slide she hit the ground with her hunting knife out and climbed over the crawling bitter. Sinking her blade into the back of its head she watched as the tip of the blade came out the front.

Yanking the knife back out she grimaced at the sound, something she was still trying to get used to. Pushing herself off it she rolled onto her back and tried to catch her breath. Looking up at the sky through the trees she wished her family was with her, especially Kyra they had spent many a day in the woods looking at the clouds to see if they could guess the shapes.

"You okay lady?" Rolling her eyes up she looked at the little girl she'd saved.

"Yep." Sitting up slowly she waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. "Why are you out here?"

"I was on the road with a big group. Walkers came through and we hid under cars. They were all gone so I climbed out, but there was two more and they chased me." The girl clutched her doll close and twisted the toe of her shoe into the dirt. "Rick came and found me, hid me in a hole and led the walkers away. I went to go back to the road but I heard a noise and ran the wrong way."

Standing she brushed herself off and looked down at the girl. Looking in the direction that the girl had come from. Tilting her head she tried to remember which interstate it was. More than likely the girls group had come from Atlanta, hoping for someone to rescue them and realized that it was nothing more than a pipe dream. Shaking her head she started heading back the way the girl had come from.

"Are you taking me to my momma? Do you know where your going?" Not bothering to answer or look at her she just kept walking. "Who are you lady? I'm Sophia."

Instead of answering the girl she just kept moving, the pain of looking at the girl as just to much. Listening she heard Sophia following her, at least now she had stopped asking questions. Seeing that the sun was getting low in the sky she knew they wouldn't make it to the interstate before night, and walking in the woods at night was a bad idea.

"Come on there's a house less than a mile away." Turning left she headed towards it and away from the road."We gotta get there before it gets dark."

"But I thought that you were taking me to my momma."

"I will but it will be dark long before we get there. It's to dangerous to be wandering around in the dark." Turning she met Sophia's eyes. "Don't worry I'll get you to your momma."

She smiled at Sophia and saw her little face beam. Using her knife she made small cuts on trees as they pass, a marker for herself so she didn't get turned around. Pushing on they made it into a largish clearing and she saw the small house with its broken windows and missing boards. It would do for a night or two, she had to keep reminding herself that she needed rest and to be out of the heat.

"Stay here. I'm going to go check it out and make sure there aren't any dead inside." Looking around she spotted a tree that would be easy for the girl to climb. "Ever climbed a tree? Well I want you to go ahead and climb up here. Get about half way up and stay there. I'll come get you once I've cleared out the house."

Helping Sophia get started she watched as the girl got a good ways up. Hidden from view and out of reach of bitters. Giving her another smile she made a mark on the tree so she'd remember which one she'd left her in. Before leaving she looked up at Sophia and gave her a warning.

"While were out looking for your family I want you to do this any time I have to leave you." Seeing Sophia's eyes widen she continued. "It's easier for me to find you if your in one spot. Bitters can't climb and its safer for you to find a tree and climb than for you to run off. You run it takes me or anyone else way to long to find you."

Seeing Sophia nod she gave her one last smile and made her way over to the house. Banging on the door frame she listened for any signs of life, dead or not, before trying the door. Finding the handle locked she crouched down and used a flat head screw driver to pry the door open. She had learned that busting the door open made it harder to get it closed again and that left her open for attack.

Pulling her knife back out of it's holster she started making her way through the house. The ground floor was clear but as she made her way up the stairs she heard a noise coming from one of the rooms. With light steps she got closer to the sound and tapped on the door. Growls erupted, taking a step back she tried to decide if she needed to kill it or if leaving it was enough. Trying the door she found it locked, looking around she saw a small chest in the hall. With some effort she dragged it over to the door and pushed against the door.

Figuring it was safe enough for now she went back outside and called Sophia. It didn't take long for the girl to get out of the tree and join her on the porch. Pulling her inside they pushed the couch against the door and went into the kitchen. Finding another door they stood a table up and pushed it against the door. Once they had barricaded themselves in she left Sophia in the kitchen to look for food while she went back upstairs to look for supplies.

The sun was about to set when she came back downstairs with pillows and blankets, a rifle with a box of ammo, another knife, and a metal baseball bat. Handing the bat to Sophia she set up a nest in the pantry for them to sleep in before checking out what Sophia had found.

"You did good kid." Opening a can of sardines and another of beans she gave Sophia half of each. Seeing the look of disgust on the girls face she gave a small laugh. "I know not the best but we can't be picky anymore."

"I know but its still gross."

"Yeah but its better than starving." Opening her pack she pulled out two bottles of water and a big container. "So is this but its a necessity."

"What is it?"

"Protein powder. It's full of protein, vitamins, and carbs. It helps people gain weight and since we can't eat all the time." She put a couple of scoops of powder in each bottle and shook them up. "Here. You're supposed to mix it with milk but it does the trick with water."

She laughed at the face Sophia made when she took a sip. Warning her not to spit it out and to finish the bottle she sat down against the wall and ate her portion of the food. Once they were done she threw the cans in the trash and helped Sophia crawl into the nest in the pantry. Seeing that girl was having a hard time falling asleep she asked her about her group.

"There were a lot of us at the quarry, but a group of walkers came through and killed some. So we went to Atlanta to the place where they find cures. It didn't work out and there was only one doctor there. We stayed the night and got food and clean, but then he tried to kill us." Sophia looked up at her and she could see the sadness in the girls eyes. "We were headed for Fort Benning but we got stuck when the RV broke. That's when the walkers came and I got separated. Rick found me and hid me but I got scared and ran off and you found me."

"Tell me about the people in your group."

"Well there's my momma, Carl and his momma Lori and Rick his dad. They thought he was dead but he came back with some of the others. Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea who lost her sister Amy. Shane he came with Lori and Carl." Sophia stopped and she could tell the girl was trying to remember everybody. "Oh yeah, Dale he's old old and has the RV. Then the brothers, they hunted for us. Nobody ever really talked to them."

Her heartbeat picked up at the mention of hunting brothers, could it be. Looking back at Sophia she didn't want to freak the girl out but she had to know. "Do you remember their names?"

"Uh, the mean one was Merle and the other is Daryl. Don't remember their last names."

"It's Dixon. Merle and Daryl Dixon."

"How do you know?"

"Cause it's my last name too." Looking over at the girl she smiled. "Now go to sleep we're going to head out early."

"Okay Ms. Dixon." Sophia sleepy voice called out.

"It's Mrs. Dixon."

Sitting there she played with the rings on her ring finger. Twisting the three silver bands around and around she let herself relax. Resting her hands on her stomach she smiled as she let herself fall into a light sleep. She didn't have any dreams that night but it was fine, 'cause that also meant she didn't have any nightmares either.

Page Break

They had been walking for a couple of hours when they stopped for a snack. They found a small creek and filled up their water bottles and ate some berries they'd found earlier. They were enjoying the shade that protected them form the hot sun when they heard it, bells. More specifically church bells.

Grabbing her pack from the ground she shoved their left overs in and slung it across her back. Taking Sophia's hand they followed the creek up and prayed they would sound again. They had to cross a slippery part of the creek and climb a hill when they heard it again. Sophia had gotten stressed when she dropped her doll, but she didn't let go of the woman's hand to get it.

It took them a few hours to find the church because they hadn't heard the bells again but when they did they found three dead bitters and evidence that someone had been there recently. Taking a break they sat down for a bit and drank some water.

Deciding that they needed to get back to the highway she led Sophia outside. As she looked around trying to get her directions they both jumped at the sound of a gunshot. Sophia got excited thinking it could be her group but the woman grabbed her and made her stop.

"You said that Rick and Shane were leading your group and they were cops, right?" Sophia nodded. "Do you really think they'd risk attracting bitters for one shot in the woods.?"

"No, but..."

"No sweetie they wouldn't. That shot wasn't that far away but the highway is in the opposite direction. Now we'll go check out where the shot came from but we will do it safely."

Talking Sophia's hand she led her in the direction the shot had come from. Like she'd guessed it wasn't far from the church, maybe a couple of miles. When they got there whoever had taken the shot was long gone. Looking around they found a downed buck and she gave a little cheer. They would have fresh meat for dinner. Checking around the area she also saw some human tracks and a puddle of blood.

"Something bad must have happened for them to leave the buck here."

Walking over to the deer she took out her hunting knife and dropped her bag to the ground. Looking through it she found some old Ziploc bags. Taking off her hat she handed it to Sophia and directed her to a berry bush on the edge of the clearing.

"Go get us some more berries while I get us a god chunk of this deer." Seeing the girl's face get green she gently pushed her in the direction of the bush. "Get the berries and don't look over here, okay."

Once Sophia was busy gathering berries she set about getting some good portions of meat. Knowing that there was no way for her to carry the busk anywhere she got enough for her and Sophia to eat for the next couple of days. Once she had them in the bags she put them in her pack and called Sophia over. After putting the berries an another bag she zipped them into the side pocket of the pack and started leading Sophia away.

"What about the rest of the deer?"

"It wont last long and I can't carry it with us. So it's going to stay here. That means we have to get out of here now. The smell will attract any bitters around and we don't want to be around for that."

"Okay."

A couple of hours passed with them walking in silence when the woman heard a noise. Stopping Sophia who'd been looking for flowers to give to her mother. Pulling the girl around a tree and into some bushes she shushed her and waited. She was sure she'd heard a scream and hooves, but couldn't place where they'd come from. Soon they spotted someone riding past on a horse through the trees.

Once the sound passed she tried to step out from the bushes but Sophia was clutching onto the side of her shirt. Untangling the girls fingers she brought her into a hug, it wasn't long before Sophia let go and stared up at her with her mouth open. Nodding she pulled her back into the hug and patted her back. Once Sophia was ready they started heading for road again.

They hadn't been walking for long before they heard the horse again, closer this time. Shoving Sophia into some shrubs she ducked behind a tree and saw that the horse was carrying a couple of women. Putting her hand over Sophia mouth she shushed the girl who was about to give away their position. When the women passed she released the girl and crouched down to her level.

"Do you know them?"

"Yeah one of them looked like Lori, Carl's mom."

"Okay well we're going to follow them and check it out." Sophia gave her a look. "Sorry girl but I don't know your people and you don't know who that other lady was."

It seemed like forever before they reached the farm where the women had gone but that was just because of the fact that they were trying to chase down a horse. Spotting a farm house, barn, and stable she guided around them all. Not wanting to let the people inside know that they were being watched. It wasn't hard for the two of them to make their way up to the house without being seen. Nobody was outside keeping watch, which made her huff in anger.

They were near what appeared to be a generator shed when she heard it, screams of pain where pouring out of the open windows of the house. Flinching she dragged Sophia way from the house, there was no need for them to listen anymore. The two of them stayed low and made their way from the farm and back to the church that they'd found earlier.

When they got there the sun was setting and after checking to make sure that no more bitters had found the place she set Sophia up inside. Going back out she wandered around looking for good sticks to make a small fire. By the time the sun had completely set she had enough wood to last the night. With some help with Sophia she got it all inside and into an office.

After getting the fire going and the deer meat cooking she thought over what she'd seen and heard today. Flipping the meat she sat back against the desk and looked over at the little girl she'd saved. She didn't know why she was torturing herself by saving her and then keeping her around. Sophia reminded her of Kyra too much, Kyra would only be a year or two younger than the girl.

Getting Sophia fed and out for the night she vowed that she would take her to the highway tomorrow and leave. She didn't need a group, she'd been doing fine all on her own since this whole thing had started. Hell she'd even survived the massacre at her job, when the military had just come in and opened fire on everyone.

She had gotten grazed when the bullets were flying and had hid under the body of a nurse until they'd left. It had taken her a while to get were she was today, but after arriving home and not being able to find any of her family she'd packed up her things and headed out. That had been nearly two months ago and she'd survived all by herself, with only the skills her husband had taught her.

Page Break

After waking up with Sophia curled around her and seeing just how late it was she was ticked off. Pushing for speed she and Sophia cut through the trees and bushes, making as straight a line as they could to the road. It was well past noon when they finally broke through the tree line and saw the cars abandoned on the road.

"Where was your group on the road?"

"Not sure, but Shane had found a truck full of water not far."

Dropping her bag she rummaged around it until she came up with a pair of binoculars. Climbing up on top of a car she looked around for any trucks with a water logo. Smiling she jumped down and looked over a Sophia, who'd grabbed the bag of berries out of the pack.

"I see the water truck. It's about a mile down the road." She smiled when Sophia gave a little cheer.

Taking a chance to eat one of her granola bars and some berries and get some water the two of them made their way towards where Sophia's group had been. She was just hopping that they hadn't given up looking for the girl and left some clue as to where they went. It didn't take them long to reach the spot that had obvious signs of being recently disturbed.

Looking around she spotted a car with Sophia's name on the back window. Reading it she saw that someone would be coming in the morning to see if she was there. After telling the girl she realized she couldn't leave her alone on the highway. Sophia was getting better about making smart decisions but she was still just a child.

Resigning herself to another day with the girl she left Sophia with the car and headed over to the water truck. Lifting the grating she knew there was no way she could carry one of the big containers so she pulled out the empty water bottles in her bag and poked a hole in the big bottles lid.

After filling her bottles she started looking through some cars until she found a suitcase with clothes Sophia's size. Calling the girl over she showed her the clothes and smiled when she got excited. Grabbing some clothes around her size she grabbed soap, 2 in 1 shampoo, and a razor, she led Sophia over to the water truck.

She had Sophia get ready and popped the top off one of the bottles so the girl could bath and change into some clean clothes. She saw red when she saw the healing bruises on the girl. Shouldering it she had Sophia keep watch while she washed up. Feeling better after getting the layers of dirt off she changed into a pair of jean short, a tank top, and put back on her hiking boots with clean socks.

Gathering the dirty clothes they'd both been wearing she yanked on of the bottles out and cut off the top and used some soap to wash them, before letting them dry on a car in the sun. While they waited for night to fall she and Sophia went through some more cars and actually came out pretty well. They had found more clothes, toothbrushes and paste, mouthwash. A small knife with a belt for Sophia, and a bow and arrows for her. Finding a pair of leather gloves in another car she realized how much she needed this, sure she had a gun but it was too noisy in most cases.

After finding a minivan to camp in for the night she had Sophia find some blankets and pillows while she used a mini blowtorch to heat them up some cans of food that had been left. They settled down for the night when the moon was high in the sky. Sophia fell into a deep sleep aided by her now full belly and comfortable clothes.

Sitting up most of the night she looked at the stars that were visible and tried to find all the constellations her husband had taught her. She smiled when she saw Orion the hunter, something she about it made her smile every time she saw it, probably because it reminded her of him. Her hunter, her husband, and the man she loved above all else.

Page Break

The heat was woke her up the next morning. Inside the van was scorching and only getting worse as the sun came up over the trees. Throwing open the door to the van she stepped out and pulled off the jacket she'd fallen asleep in. Making her way to the water truck she pierced another jug and let it pour over her head, letting the water cool her down.

Hearing a noise she turned in time to see Sophia climbing out of the van and making her way to the edge of the road. Keeping an eye on her she went over as well and did her business. Finishing she went back to the car that had the sign and found a can of mixed fruit and a half empty box of cereal for them to split for breakfast, along with more of the protein water. Digging in her bag she grabbed a bottle of pills and poured two of them out and swallowed them with the water.

"What are those pills for?" Looking over she saw Sophia watching her with an owlish expression while eating a handful of cereal.

"It's vitamins." Looking in her bag she found another bottle and handed it to the girl. "These are gummy vitamins for kids. Go ahead and take a couple."

Sophia nodded and shook out two and started chewing, enjoying the candy flavoring. After they finished they breakfast they wandered around the area looking for anything interesting. Since they didn't know when someone would show up to get her. They were having fun digging around in the vehicles when they heard the sound of a car coming up the road.

Running over to Sophia who was a few cars away she pulled her into the van they'd slept in and spotted a man getting out of the can. They had left obvious signs they'd been there for whoever came to get Sophia. Sure enough they heard the man yelling for her. Letting her peek she waited for Sophia to acknowledge the man, and by the girls excited bouncing she knew Sophia recognized him.

"Glen, Glen over here."

Letting the girl go she watched as she ran over to the man and watched how he reacted. Seeing the man's obvious surprise as the girl slammed her body into him she smiled when he crouched down and gave her a hug. Deciding it was now of never she climbed out of the van and went over to the two, who were still hugging. Staying as quiet as she could she made sure not to get within striking distance before clearing her throat, chuckling when 'Glen' toppled over.

"Hey I just wanted to say keep a better eye on her in the future. She might not run into nice people again." With that she turned and headed back to the van to grab her bag.

"Hey wait up," Looking over her shoulder she saw Glen coming up to her.

"What I did what I promised her I'd do. Now it's time for me to leave."

"That's not true." Turning around she looked at Sophia. "You promised to bring me to my momma. He's not my momma."

"Dammit!" Nodding she made her way to the car that Glen had driven. "Come on then. Once you're in your momma's arms I'm out. I gotta find my family too, Sophia." Sophia nodded and went to the car and climbed into the back seat, while Glen just shook his head in confusion. "Come on boy, lets get this done."

Glen stood there stunned until she reached into the car a blared the horn. Moving quickly he got into the driver seat and nearly jumped out when she pointed her gun at him. Seeing the warning in her eyes Glen nodded and moved the car to turn around. The trip was quiet as the three of them waited for the farm to come into view. When she saw the farm she started to panic, and tried to get out of the car.

"I ain't going there and neither is she."

"What do you mean?"

"Been here before. Heard someone screaming bloody murder the other day."

"That was Carl. He's Rick and Lori's son. Got shot by accident and they had to pull fragments out of him. But he's fine now, woke up asking for Sophia and everything."

Before anything else could be said they pulled up to some other cars in the yard and were rushed by a group of people. Fighting the panic attack she stayed in the car and leaned on the door lock as she waited for them to back away. Glen must have seen her hesitation and white face because he got out of the car and made them all back up. She could hear them arguing about him bringing someone to the farm and if he'd found Sophia. Turning her head a bit she could see the girl was laying down across the seat, passed out from the heat and worry.

Slamming her door open she nearly knocked over a black guy that was standing there. Instead of apologizing she just went to Sophia's door and opened it. Leaning inside she gently shook the girl and waited for her to wake up. When the girl opened her eyes she helped her out and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Sophia!"

Looking up she saw a woman with extremely short gray hair rushing over and moved herself in front of the girl. Feeling the girl grab onto her belt loop she braced herself for whatever was coming. It didn't take long for everyone to start yelling at her to let the girl go, none of them realized that it was the other way around.

"Girl," Looking over her should at her. "That your momma?" Seeing her nod she raised her brow. "Why ain't you going to her?"

"Cause then you'll leave and I want you to stay." Dropping her chin to her chest she turned and knelt down to look in Sophia's eyes.

"I gotta find my family too. How about this I'll stay one night and then I'll go." Seeing Sophia's excited expression she gave her a smile. "Now go on to your momma."

She smiled when Sophia gave her a hug before bolting around her to get to the woman. Watching the scene she was happy she'd come but now all she wanted was her family. Using the car she slowly stood up, trying to keep the wave of dizziness at bay. Standing up she grimaced when she wobbled a bit but made sure to stand tall and sure for the others, not wanting them to see her weakness.

She moved away from the group but watched as little Sophia was passed around and given hugs. Smiling she leaned against a tree and looked over the yard where everyone had set up their things. Spotting a tent away from the rest she walked over and gasped. There was a motorcycle next to it, one that she knew very well. Looking around at the people gathered around the reunited mother and daughter she got mad when she didn't spot him.

Barging over to those gathered she was about to start questioning them when a call rang over them. "Walker. Walker." Looking around she spotted a blond woman on top of the RV pointing across the field. Rushing with the others to get a look at what the blond was talking about she spotted just one.

"I can get it from here." Turning her head she saw the woman trying to aim the rifle in her hands while some old man tried to stop her.

Seeing some of the men from camp running across the field she decided to follow them. Keeping back she watched as they rushed at it and then drew back. The one in the lead lifted his gun as if to shoot and then froze, they all did. Looking at the walker she gasped.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You going to use it."

She watched as everyone relax and a couple laughed before a shot rang out. Screaming she ran over trying to push the men out of her way but was knocked back. She relaxed when she heard him talk again, 'I was just kidding.' She watched as the guys got him up and started walking him back to the house.

"Oh my god, oh my god I didn't know." Seeing the blond from the RV she walked over and decked her.

"You ever shoot or even raise a weapon at him again I'll leave you for the bitters."

Catching up with the men she followed them into the house and up to the room where they deposited him. Looking around she watched as they got him on the bed and then backed up so another older man could get to him. Moving forward she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I got it, he hates it when people see him like this." She saw a man with curly brown hair move in front of the bed, blocking her. "Get out of my way and out of the room. I'll take care of him."

Seeing he was going to argue she pulled her gun and aimed it at his head. "I hear you gotta habit of doing this to him, I wont hesitate to pull the trigger though, now get out of my way."

"Who do you think you are to order us around?"

Man with the shaved head got in her face and with her emotions all over the place and his in that bed bleeding with a hole in his side and a graze in his head she was at her breaking point. Then he made the mistake of touching her. With that the last thread of her control snapped and she went off.

Flipping her pistol around in her hand she used the butt to bash him in the temple, he crumpled to the ground instantly. Without a moments hesitation she had her knife in Rick's throat and had placed herself in front of him. Growling she faced the men in the room and waited to see what would happen next.

"I'm his wife." Looking Rick in the eye she let some of the anger fade, so that he could see what was going through. "Now I'm not going to ask again, please leave. Just have someone bring me my bag so I can take care of him."

"Sierra?" Everyone turned to look down at the man on the bed. "Is it really you? Are you really here, or am I dying?"

Sierra dropped down to her knees next to the bed and helped Daryl to roll over onto his back. Planting little kisses all over his face she cried. It had been so long since they'd last seen each other, both thinking the other was dead. Sierra laughed when Daryl pinched his arm, just to make sure it wasn't just a dream.

"You're really here."

"Ya baby, I'm here." Grabbing the hand that was caressing her face she moved it down and placed it on her stomach. Right over the telling bump under her, well his, baggy button up shirt. "We're _both_ here, just for you."

A/N: Now how was that for a twist. Let me know what you think. For now this is a one shot unless I get love for more.


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